I became engaged and excited at the prospect of an independent Scotland over the last few months, being a native, having done a reporting trip there, hosted a political debate and followed the campaigning with wonder and amusement at the creativity and verve on display.

The exercise threw up both of the core elements I address in Fraudcast News – how radical improvements to our governance systems might be possible and what sort of media coverage would help those come about.

I thought an independent Scotland might become an exemplar of more accountable, transparent government, a huge improvement on Westminster.

That was the main reason I was, and remain, an enthusiastic advocate for Yes.

There is an end in sight to the referendum marathon – and a day-after that promises a large chunk of Scotland’s resident voters wake up on the wrong side of the result. The losers will include the angry, the anxious and deeply disappointed, with many seeking someone to blame. The winners’ challenge will be how to celebrate victory without rubbing neighbours’ noses in it. Whatever the outcome, “yes” and “no” voters will be picking up the pieces side by side.

One response to “Taking the medicine – disappointment in defeat”

Makes me think of the Republic Referendum in Australia 1999.
The media seems to portray this as “Australia rejects a republic and approves of continued monarchy”.
Yet the polls, peoples’ opinions, and even the referendum question itself all pointed clearly to the fact that barely a quarter of the population want monarchy (at best). (Maybe another third couldn’t care less…🙂 ) But the largest group wanted a republic.
So the monarchist government of the day posed a question that effectively split the republic vote. A large slice of the “no” vote was republicans who wanted the opportunity to direct elect a president.

Then with complicit media a concocted narrative was created that says to this day that “Australia rejects Republic”. (Guess who was convenor of the Monarchist camp? Hint: he used to work as a journo for The Bulletin, then went into politics… also has a reputation for blatant, outright lying.)

Huh, what? ‘fraid it’s true…..
Might be worth checking which side Crosby-Textor was barracking for in the Scottish Independence Referendum…. if you fancy a conspiracy…. I already guessed the answer so I’m not interested.

Fraudcast News

An ex-Reuters reporter, he relates how getting into and out of conventional journalism opened his eyes to the realities of his chosen career.

On the way he found how mainstream media, including his former employer, were far from being the public watchdogs of power they like to pretend. Quite the opposite – the bulk of their work blinds people to their powerlessness in the face of modern politics, at every layer of government.

Yet this is a hopeful story, including a plan for how people can make their own media and lay claim to their political voices.